[INDOLOGY] The term praśasti

[Charlyn Edwards]

Dear David,
Richard Salomon, in his* Indian Epigraphy* (Oxford, 1998) has written the
best introductory description of *praśasti* I have found anywhere, with
several examples cited and included in his book.  He mentions that the
term *praśasti
*often was included in the colophon of inscriptions that followed* praśasti*
conventions and that the form seems to have been restricted to
inscriptions, with, exceptionally, a collection of* praśasti*  in one
manuscript anthology.   I am not an “epigraphy specialist” but had the
honour of studying with Professor Salomon.
Charlyn Edwards

_________________________________


Charlyn Edwards

Doktorandin, Asien-Afrika-Institut

Universität Hamburg

Email:  edwardscharlyn at gmail.com


On Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at 7:32 PM Buchta, David via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

> Dear colleagues,
>
>
>
> I am hoping for some guidance, likely from epigraphy specialists on this
> list.
>
>
>
> We commonly understand a primary meaning of the term *praśasti *to refer
> to royal panegyric, especially as occurring in inscriptions. I am trying to
> understand the history of this usage of the term. MWW lists “(metrical)
> eulogistic inscription” under the entry for *praśasti*, but then only
> cites MacDonell’s dictionary. I am aware of the use of the term as a label
> for such royal praise poems in Vidyākara’s Subhāṣitaratnakoṣa.
>
>
>
> I am wondering, however, if anyone can point me to clear attestations of
> the use of *praśasti* as a term specifically identifying poems in praise
> of a king, inscriptional or otherwise, prior to Vidyākara. Does the term,
> for instance, occur within such poems themselves, or in colophons? Is it
> found as a label in inscriptions that contain such royal praise poems?
>
>
>
> I should note that Prof Pollock kindly shared with me his article,
> “Praśasti and its Congeners: A Small Note on a Big Topic,” though it does
> not address the specific question I am asking here.
>
>
>
> Thanks for any leads you might have.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
> Dave
> --
> David Buchta, PhD
> Senior Lecturer in Sanskrit
> Department of Classics
> Brown University
>
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